Precise Electronic Dartboard

ABSTRACT

An electronic dartboard apparatus with an “in-play” scoring area that includes a plurality of narrow concentric circular areas, as well as a plurality of narrow straight-line areas which extend from the innermost circular area, through the interior circular areas, to the outermost circular area. The outermost circular area serves to distinguish between the “in-play” and “out-of-play” areas. The distinct color of the narrow concentric circular and straight-line areas makes them distinguishable from the rest of the board, creating very clear boundaries between all the other scoring areas that make up the “in-play” area. Both the narrow circular and straight-line areas are flush with the rest of the dartboard, and include scoring holes identical to those throughout the entire “in-play” area, thus making the “in-play” surface one continuous, very precise scoring area, where darts no longer bounce off the board, and fail to register the proper score.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to electronic dartboards, which were firstintroduced to the world in the mid-1970s. By the mid-1980s, sales ofelectronic dartboards had taken off. Throughout the years electronicdartboards have become immensely popular. People of all ages, and fromall walks of life, enjoy throwing darts. Some people are casualthrowers, who just throw for fun and don’t take it seriously. However,there is a high percentage of serious dart throwers, many of whomcompete in leagues and tournaments. It is with these competitivethrowers in mind, that we created the invention.

FIG. 1 is an example of a typical electronic dartboard that can be foundin social clubs, bars, and homes throughout the world. As you can see,the arrangement of the numbers is the same as it has been on dartboardsfor centuries. You can also see that the yellow plastic borders betweenthe different numbers, and the five yellow plastic circular borders onthe board are the same as they have always been on electronicdartboards, and are the same as the metal borders which have been oncork dartboards for centuries.

Use of an electronic dartboard may be known. Nearly everyone from youngchildren to elderly adults can identify an electronic dartboard whenthey see one. Throwing darts is a popular activity. It’s somethingmillions of people do, either on a frequent, or occasional, basis.However, the scoring on these devices has always been seriously flawed,and often not indicative of how well a player is throwing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is designed to dramatically increase the scoringaccuracy of electronic dartboards, and be far more indicative of howwell each player is throwing darts. With the addition of both concentriccircular scoring areas, and straight-line scoring areas, the entiresurface within the outermost circular scoring area will become onecontinuous scoring area that is considered to be “in-play”. Well-throwndarts that hit in the field of play will no longer bounce off theborders and fail to register. Instead, they will register and be scoredcorrectly. This, in turn, will eliminate the vast majority of thecontroversy, debates, and erroneous scoring that exists on the currentdevices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical electronic dartboard as it currently existswith its concentric circular and straight-line borders, which are madeof hard plastic and, in this case, are yellow.

FIG. 2 illustrates a view of an electronic dartboard where the hard,plastic borders are replaced with concentric circular scoring areas andstraight-line scoring areas according to the embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a view of an electronic dartboard, where the numericvalue of each straight-line scoring area is displayed on the board,providing clarity as to its value, according to the embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a variation of the board presented in FIG. 3according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a variation of the board presented in FIG. 4 whereboth the “yellow” concentric circular scoring areas, and “yellow”straight-line scoring areas, are made wider.

FIG. 6 illustrates a variation of the board presented in FIG. 2 withdouble-wide straight-line borders between the numbers which are yellowon one side, and blue on the other.

FIG. 7 illustrates a view of an electronic dartboard where the differentscoring areas are very distinguishable because every black scoring areahas yellow scoring area (border) around it, and every red scoring areahas a blue scoring area (border) surrounding it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description represents the best currentlycontemplated modes for carrying out the invention. The description isnot to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purposeof illustrating the general principles of the invention.

Although we will use the boards pictured in FIGS. 1-6 for thisdescription, we want to make it clear that dartboards are not always redand black with yellow circular and straight-line borders. The colorsvary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Even dartboards made by the samemanufacturer, can be different colors.

The area around the actual dartboard, including the scoreboard and gameselection areas, also varies from dart machine to dart machine. However,the numbers outside the outermost yellow circular border, and the actualplaying area inside the outermost yellow circular border are basicallyidentical on every dartboard.

In order to discuss how the invention will dramatically reducecontroversial scoring, and scoring errors, we must first describe thedartboard and its scoring areas. Descriptions of the multitude of gamesthat can be played on a dartboard, and the countless number ofsituations that can occur are not relevant to the scope of theinvention, since we are proposing a physical change to the board itselfthat will greatly increase the accuracy of the scoring, not a change inthe rules of the games that are played.

Description of the Dartboard

The following is a general description of a typical dartboard (see FIG.1 ), and how it is divided into different scoring areas. We will also gointo detail as to how these different areas are scored.

The outermost circular yellow border, which we will call the firstborder, separates the field of play from the out-of-bounds area. Theblack area outside this border is “out of play”. Any throw that hits inthis area will register as a “miss”, and will receive no credit for thethrow, regardless of the game being played. Only darts that hit withinthis border are considered “in-play” and may, or may not, score,depending on the game being played and the situation that exists at thetime of the throw.

The narrow region between the first border and the next outermostcircular yellow border, which we will call the second border, isreferred to as the “double area” for each number. Darts landing in thisarea receive credit for hitting the number two (2) times. For example,if a dart lands in this “black” region within the 20, the playerreceives credit for hitting the 20 twice. As far as scoring isconcerned, the player will usually be credited with two 20 marks, orwill score 40 points (20 × 2). Similarly, if the dart lands in this“red” region within the 19, the player will usually be credited with two19 marks, or will score 38 points (2 × 19). These same rules apply fornumbers 1 through 18. We use the word “usually” because there can betimes when the throw may score differently, or could possibly not scoreanything, depending on the game being played, and the circumstances atthe time of the throw. These circumstances are contingent on the rulesof the game, as well as how the player has done, and how his opponentshave done, up to that point in the game.

As we move toward the center of the board, we come to the third circularyellow border. The area between the second and third borders is one oftwo “single” areas. It is much larger than the double area. In fact, itis the biggest area within each number. Darts hitting in this area arescored as if the thrower hit the number once. Let’s say a dart hits inthis big “red” region within the 20, the player receives credit forhitting the 20 one (1) time. In this case, the player will usually becredited with one 20 mark or 20 points (1 × 20). If the dart hits thisbig “black” region within the 19, the player receives credit for hittingthe 19 once. In this case, the player will usually be credited with one19 mark or score 19 points (1 × 19). These rules apply to all thenumbers on the board.

Continuing toward the center of the board, we come to the fourthcircular yellow border. The area between the third and fourth borders isnarrow in width like the double area. However, it is much smaller thanthe double area because it is closer to the center of the board andshorter in length. This is the “triple” area. When a dart hits in thisregion, it is scored as hitting the number three (3) times. For example,if a dart lands in this small “black” area within the 20, the playerreceives credit for hitting the 20 three (3) times. As far as scoring isconcerned, the player will usually be credited with three 20 marks, orwill score 60 points (20 × 3). Again, these rules apply to all thenumbers on the board.

The fifth circular yellow border is the innermost, and smallest, border.It separates the bull’s eye from the rest of the board. It is locatednear the center of the board. The long narrow, triangular-shaped areabetween the fourth and this fifth border is the second “single” area.Just like the “single” area discussed above, it is scored as hitting thenumber one (1) time. Let’s say a dart hits in this “red” region withinthe 20, the player receives credit for hitting the 20 one (1) time. Theplayer will usually be credited with one 20 mark or 20 points (1 × 20).Once again, these rules apply to all the numbers on the board.

Inside this fifth (innermost) border lies the area known as the bull’seye. The bull’s eye consists of a small round black area surrounded by alarger round red area. The single bull’s eye is the red area, and thedouble bull’s eye is the black area. The scoring for these areas varies,and can be determined by the players when they select and set up thegame they wish to play. Some games consider the whole area as one regionand it is scored as hitting the bull’s eye one (1) time, regardless ofwhether the darts land in the red area, or the black area. Other gamesconsider the black area a “double” bull, and score the dart as hittingthe bull’s eye twice.

The Problem

Each player throws three (3) darts per turn. If a dart hits outside theoutermost circular yellow border, that throw is “out of play”, andscored as a “miss”. It counts as a thrown dart, but the player receivesno credit for the throw, as it should be.

However, there are far too many times that a thrown dart hits the board“in play” and the dart does not register, or is scored a “miss”. Thedarts that hit “in play”, but do not register, almost always bounce offthe board, onto the floor. If a dart happens to stick in the board anddoes not register, it can simply be pushed into the board by hand, andit will register.

The vast majority of the times darts bounce off the board is due todarts hitting the yellow borders. Once in a while, a dart that hitsinside a region will bounce off the board, but it almost alwaysregisters, and scores what it hits.

When a dart hits any of the yellow borders between the numbers, or thecircular borders between the scoring areas within each number, the throwdoes not register, and the player receives no credit for the throw. Thisis extremely unfair to the player. He/she threw a good dart that wasdefinitely in the field of play, yet the throw is considered “out ofplay”, and receives no credit. It’s scored the same as a poorly throwndart that hits outside the field of play.

These yellow borders are the direct cause of inaccurate, unfair, andhighly controversial scoring when players are competing in leagues,tournaments, or even social gatherings. It is particularly disturbingwhen a player throws a dart that hits the circular yellow bordersbetween the different scoring areas within the same number and it isfails to register, and counts a “miss”. When this occurs, the player whothrew the dart usually feels he/she has been cheated. It often leads todebates among the players as to where the dart actually hit the board.When darts bounce off the board repeatedly in a competitive environment,it creates resentment, complaints and debates among the players. Ofcourse, these debates can never be settled because the thrown dartsaren’t sticking in the board, as they should be. Instead, they’re lyingon the floor!

For example, let’s say a player hits the yellow border between the“triple” 20 and the “single” 20, and bounces off the board. Thedartboard does not register a score, just the same as if the dart wasthrown out of bounds. The board should have rewarded him with a either a“triple” 20, or at least a “single” 20. However, since it hit the yellowborder, he receives absolutely no credit for a very good throw. This istotally unfair, and quite possibly could cost that player the game.Although, it doesn’t happen a lot, we’ve seen players have all three (3)darts bounce off the board, and not receive credit for any of the throwndarts.

Another problem with the darts that bounce off the yellow borders isthat sometimes they register as hitting one number when it is clearlyobvious that the tip of the dart did not hit anywhere near that number.Because the dart hit the yellow border, which made it to turn sideways,a part of the dart, other than the tip, made contact with the board in adifferent number, causing it to register as hitting that number.

Recently, we have been tracking the number of darts that do not stick inthe board. Each trial consisted of playing a game called “HammerCricket” ten (10) times to see what percentage of darts would bounce offthe board. We chose Hammer Cricket because each player always throwstwenty-four (24) darts per game (8 turns × 3 darts per turn). Therefore,you only have to track the number of darts that fail to stick in theboard, and not worry about tracking the total number of darts thrownbecause that number is already known. There were four playersparticipating in each of the ten (10) games. Figuring out the number ofdarts thrown each game is very simple:

4(Players) × 24(darts/game) = 96(total darts)

During our trials, the highest number of darts that bounced off theboard in a game was 34, which is a whopping (35.4%). The lowest numberwas 19, which is still an unacceptable (19.8%). The average per gameover each of the ten game trials was 26.1 (27.2%), One, or two, throwndarts can determine the outcome of a game. Imagine the effect on a gamethat twenty-six (26) darts can have. Not to mention, all the disputesand complaints that arise because the players who threw the darts thinkthey got “cheated”.

It can also happen the other way. That is, a player gets credit forhitting a number when the dart bounces off the board, while hisopponents claim the dart missed the number all together. The argumentscan get heated at times when competitive dart throwers are playing. Thisis especially true when a player believes the dart hit in the “double”or “triple” areas of the targeted number, and he/she gets no credit forthe throw. Or, he gets credit for a throw that his opponents feel didnot hit the targeted number. Darts bouncing off the thick yellow borderaround the bull’s eye are particularly frustrating because the bull’seye is a critical target that, in many cases, decides the outcome of thegame.

The bottom line is that something has to be done about these thickyellow borders in order to greatly reduce the inaccurate, controversialscoring that currently exists on electronic dartboards. This will, inturn, alleviate the anger and frustration felt by the players, thusenhancing the dart-throwing experience. More importantly, it will makethe scoring fair and accurate, and be a true indication of how well theplayers are throwing.

Proposed Solutions Solution 1 Change the Yellow Borders From an Inverted“u” Shape to an Inverted “v” Shape

The borders certainly provide a very clear and obvious distinctionbetween the regions of the board. However, there is no doubt they arethicker than they need to be. Instead of risking the clarity andaesthetic nature of the board by thinning the borders altogether, theycould be thinned out as they come out from the board, in the shape of aninverted “v”, with the pointed side facing out from the board.Currently, the thick borders are in an inverted “u” shape. The surfacearea of these borders that a thrown dart can hit is normally aroundthree (3) millimeters thick. With the inverted “v” shape, the surfacearea that the dart could hit would be reduced to under one (1)millimeter. This would reduce the surface area of the yellow bordersthat the dart could bounce off of by at least 67%. Also, the darts thathit the slightly slanted sides of the borders would not bounce directlyoff the board, but instead would slide into the board, and likelyregister in the region it hits. Based on the redesigned borders, weestimate that the number of darts not registering because they hit theyellow borders would be reduced by about 67%.

As you can see, this simple solution would dramatically reduce thenumber of non-scoring throws, and greatly improve the game with far moreaccurate scoring. These inverted “v” borders would allow many more dartsto slide one way or the other into a region on the board, where it wouldregister a proper score, and eliminate most of the controversy thatarises when darts bounce off the board and don’t register, or registerincorrectly.

Another side benefit of the newly designed borders is the manufacturershould lower costs because less plastic would be used when making the“v″-shaped borders.

Solution 2 Eliminate All the Yellow Borders and Rings. The Board WouldConsist of Red and Black Areas Only That Butted up Against Each Other

Although this solution would greatly improve the scoring, the boardwould lack the distinct boundaries between the numbers, and theboundaries between the premium areas within each number. The outsidepart of the bull’s eye could not be red, or black, because it wouldblend in with every other number whose inside single area was of thesame color. There simply would not be any clear distinction between thedifferent scoring areas. Without clear boundaries between areas, itwould also be hard for the player throwing from eight (8) feet away andthe others looking on to tell which area the dart was in if the dartlanded where the red and black areas meet. You would constantly haveplayers approaching the board during their turns to get a closer look atwhether the dart was in the red, or black, area. The board wouldcompletely lose its aesthetic value as well. It would be a sea of redand black. The out-of-bounds area also could not be black or red,because it would blend in with the double areas of the same color. Theboundaries need to be clearly visible to the players for clarity andaiming purposes.

If you kept the outermost ring, there would be a clear boundary betweenthe out-of-play area and the in-play area. By keeping the innermostyellow ring, there would be a clear boundary between the bull’s eye andthe rest of the “in-play” area.

However, there still would not be clear boundaries between the numbers,or between the different scoring areas within each number.

All sports have clearly defined, and visible boundary lines to eliminateambiguity and controversy. Darts is no different. A board without clearboundaries would have players second-guessing the board, and making surethe dart stuck in the area where the screen said it was. The board wouldlose its clarity, and all its charm. So, even though it would improvethe accuracy of the scoring, this is not the solution we prefer.

Solution 3 Replace the Hard, Plastic Yellow Borders and Rings That StickOut With Yellow Scoring Areas That are Flush With the Rest of the Board,and Insert Closely Packed Scoring Receptors (Holes in the PlayingSurface) Into Them. (See FIG. 2)

This is, without a doubt, the preferred solution. The goal is to come asclose as possible to eliminating darts that don’t register, even thoughthey hit the board “in-play”. This, in turn, would make the scoring farmore accurate, and far less controversial. The “in-play” surface wouldbecome one continuous scoring area. However, the yellow circular scoringareas, and the yellow straight-line scoring areas between the numbers,would still be clearly visible, and would still serve as boundaries thatmake it very easy for the players to distinguish between the differentregions of the board. This solution would also lower costs because thehard, plastic borders would no longer need to be manufactured, andinserted into the board.

The main change with this solution is the board would have to beconfigured so that darts hitting in the yellow areas would register theproper score. The receptors in the yellow areas would simply have to bewired up and connected to the LCD display. When a darts hits theseyellow areas, an electronic impulse would be sent to register the score.The score would be displayed on the LCD, exactly like it currently doeswhen a dart hits in any of the numeric scoring areas on the board. Thecost to do this would be minimal since the technology is already inplace. It would take nothing more than to add the receptors to theprototype and program them.

Discussing the technology, and how it works, in detail is notappropriate for our discussion, since the technology has already beeninvented, and is currently in use. The present invention is designed touse the existing technology in a way that makes the scoring onelectronic dartboards far more accurate by ensuring that the entire areawithin the outermost circular yellow scoring area correctly registers atto where darts hits the board.

The question is how to score darts that hit in these new yellow scoringareas, since they are in the “field of play”. Darts hitting in theseyellow areas on the board must register as a score. Not counting them asa score, or considering them to be out of bounds would be similar to theyard markers and hash marks on a football field being considered out ofbounds, or the half-court line and foul line being considered out ofbounds on a basketball court. Could you imagine a football player beingcalled out of bounds because he stepped on a hash mark, or one of theyard lines; or a basketball player being called out of bounds becausehis foot touched the half-court line or the foul line? Any of thosescenarios would be absolutely absurd. Well, it’s just as absurd for athrown dart that lands in the “field of play” to be considered out ofbounds, and register as a “miss”. Any time a thrown dart hits in the“field of play”, it should register as to where it hit the board.

Henceforth, we will refer to the yellow circular scoring areas as the“yellow rings”, and the yellow straight-line scoring areas between thenumbers as the “yellow borders”. This will make the reading lesscumbersome and wordy.

Let’s now examine the possible scoring methods. We will begin bydiscussing the yellow borders. Then we can address the yellow ringswhich intersect those yellow borders.

If a dart hits in a yellow border it could be scored as hitting thenumber immediately preceding it, or the number immediately following it,as you go in a clockwise direction.

For example:

-   If a dart sticks in the yellow area between the 20 and the 1, and    the board is configured so that the yellow border counts as hitting    the number immediately preceding it as you go in a clockwise    direction, then the dart would be scored as hitting the 20. If the    yellow border counts as hitting the number immediately following it    going in a clockwise direction, then it would be scored as hitting    the 1.-   Let’s say the dart hits the yellow border between the 11 and the 14,    and the board is configured so that the yellow area counts as    hitting the number immediately preceding it as you go in a clockwise    direction, then the dart would be scored as hitting the 11. If the    yellow border counts as hitting the number immediately following it    as you go in a clockwise direction, then it would be scored as    hitting the 14.

Now, we need to discuss the five (5) yellow rings on the board. As wementioned in the description of the dartboard earlier, these rings aredesigned to separate, and easily distinguish the different scoring areaswithin each number on the board. Just like the borders between thenumbers, these rings would also be flush with the rest of the board, andhave holes in them, making them active scoring areas. Darts that hit inthese yellow rings would be scored as either hitting in the area justoutside them, or in the area just inside them.

If we score the yellow rings as hitting the area just outside of them,the scoring of darts would be as follows:

-   1) Darts that hit in the outermost (first) yellow ring would be    considered “out-of-bounds”, and would not score.-   2) Darts that hit in the next outermost (second) yellow ring, would    be scored as hitting the “double” area.-   3) Darts that hit in the third yellow ring would be scored as    hitting the outside “single” area.-   4) Darts that hit in the fourth yellow ring would be scored as    hitting the “triple” area.-   5) Darts that hit in the innermost (fifth) yellow ring would be    scored as hitting the inside “single” area.

The second method for scoring these darts would be to score the yellowrings as hitting the area just inside of them, the scoring of dartswould be as follows:

-   1) Darts that hit in the outermost (first) yellow ring would be    scored hitting the “double” area.-   2) Darts that hit in the next outermost (second) yellow ring, would    be scored as hitting the outside “single” area.-   3) Darts that hit in the third yellow ring would be scored as    hitting the “triple” area.-   4) Darts that hit in the fourth yellow ring would be scored as    hitting the inside “single” area.-   5) Darts that hit in the innermost (fifth) yellow ring would be    scored as hitting the bull’s eye.

A third method of scoring would look as follows:

-   1) Darts that hit in the outermost and the second outermost yellow    rings would be scored as hitting the “double” area.-   2) Darts that hit the third and the fourth yellow rings would be    scored as hitting the “triple” area.-   3) Darts that hit the innermost yellow ring would be scored as    hitting the bull’s eye.-   4) In order not to increase the size of the “double” and “triple”    areas, and therefore decrease the accuracy needed to hit these    premium areas, the two circular yellow areas could be moved one hole    closer toward each other. The ring around the bull’s eye could be    down-sized as well in order for the bull’s eye to remain the same    size.

The final part of these yellow borders that needs to be discussed iswhen darts hit, directly in the hole where the yellow border between thenumbers intersects one of the yellow rings. The scoring of these dartswill be contingent on how each yellow border and ring are configured.

1) Intersections Involving the Outermost Yellow Ring

Let’s assume a dart lands where the outermost yellow ring intersects theborder between the “20” and the “1”. Let’s also assume the outermostring is configured to be part of the “double” area and the yellow borderbetween the “20” and the “1” is configured to be a “20”. In this case,the dart would be scored as a double “20”, and count as hitting the “20”two (2) times.

However, if the outermost yellow ring is configured to be part of the“double” area and the yellow border between the “20” and the “1” isconfigured to be a “1”, then the dart would be scored as a double “1”and count as hitting the “1” two (2) times.

Using the same scenario, let’s assume that the outermost yellow ring isconfigured to be out-of-bounds. Then, it doesn’t matter how the yellowborder between the “20” and the “1” is configured because the dart is amiss based on the yellow ring being out-of-bounds.

As you can see, the outermost yellow ring is involved with three (3)possible scenarios.

2) Intersections Involving the Innermost Ring That Separates the Bull’sEye From the Rest of the Board

Let’s assume a dart lands where the yellow innermost ring intersects theborder between the “15” and the “10”. Let’s also say the innermost ringis configured to be part of the “single” area, and the yellow borderbetween the “15” and the “10” is configured to be a “15”. In this case,the dart would be scored as a single “15”, and count as hitting the “15”one (1) time.

However, if the innermost ring is configured to be part of the “single”area and the yellow border between the “15” and the “10” is configuredto be a “10”, then the dart would be scored as a single “10” and countas hitting the “10” one (1) time.

Using the same scenario, let’s assume that the innermost yellow ring isconfigured to be part of the “bull’s eye”. Then, it doesn’t matter howthe yellow border between the “15” and the “10” is configured becausethe dart is a bull’s eye based on the yellow ring.

Therefore, when the innermost ring is involved there are also only three(3) possible scenarios.

3) Intersections Involving the Three (3) Interior Yellow Rings Betweenthe Outermost Ring and the Innermost Yellow Ring

The interior rings we will be discussing in this section are the ringsthat serves as the inside border of the “double” area and the two ringsthat serve as the borders of the “triple” area. Unlike the intersectionsinvolving the outermost and innermost yellow rings, which have three (3)possible scenarios, there are four (4) possible scenarios at theintersections of the interior (second, third, and fourth) yellow ringsand the yellow borders between the numbers.

Let’s assume a dart lands in the hole where the fourth yellow ringintersects the yellow border between the “19” and the “7”. Let’s alsosay the yellow ring is configured to be part of the “single” area andthe yellow border between the “19” and the “7” is configured to be a“19”. In this case, the dart would be scored as a single “19”, and countas hitting the “19” one (1) time.

If the fourth yellow ring is configured to be part of the “single” areainside, and the yellow border between the “19” and the “7” is configuredto be a “7”, then the dart would be scored as a single “7”, and count ashitting the “7″one (1) time.

If the fourth yellow ring is configured to be part of the “triple” area,and the yellow border between the “19” and the “7” is configured to be a“19”, then the dart would be scored as a triple “19”, and count ashitting the “19” three (3) times.

The fourth scenario would be if the fourth yellow ring is configured tobe part of the “triple” area, and the yellow border between the “19” andthe “7” is configured to be a “7”. In this case, the dart would bescored as a triple “7”, and count as hitting the “7” three (3) times.This procedure would work for every intersection of the three interiorrings with the borders between the numbers.

However, if we use the third method of scoring the yellow rings, thescoring of the three interior rings would be simplified. The onlyconsideration would be which number the yellow border between thenumbers is configured to be. Therefore, there would only be two possiblescenarios for the intersections.

Let’s assume a dart lands in the hole where the third yellow ringintersects the yellow border between the “19” and the “7”. Since wealready know the yellow ring is configured to be part of the “triple”area, the only question is whether the dart is a “triple” 19, or a“triple” 7, which of course, depends on whether the border between thenumbers is configured to be a 19 or a 7. The same rules would apply tothe fourth yellow ring because it is always part of the “triple” area aswell.

It would be similar for the outermost and second outermost yellow ringsexcept the darts landing where they intersect the border between the 19and the 7 would count as either a “double” 19 or a “double” 7.

The intersection between the innermost yellow ring and any of the yellowborders would be irrelevant because the dart would always count as abull’s eye.

The last item we are proposing to incorporate into this solution is toadd smaller numbers in between the big numbers outside the outermostyellow ring. These smaller numbers would be located at the end of eachyellow border. It would indicate what each holed yellow border is worth.(See FIGS. 3 and 4 ).

For example, there would be a little number “20”, or a little number “1”at the end of the yellow border area that separates the “20” from the“1”, depending on the configuration of the board. Between the “1” andthe “18”, there would be a little number “1” or “18” at the end of theborder. This would continue all around the board, with a small number atthe end of each yellow border area. This would provide clarity to anyonewhose dart stuck in the yellow border area. They wouldn’t have to keepremembering in which direction the board is configured, and to whatnumber each yellow border belongs. It would be clearly marked.

Solution 4 Make the Borders Between the Numbers Wider With One Side ofthe Border Being One Color and the Other Side Being a Different Color

FIG. 5 shows a dartboard with yellow rings and borders that are twice aswide with two rows of holes in each yellow area. Although these widerborders are more distinct, they seem to take over the board. They stillserve the purpose of making the entire “in-play” area a scoring area,but they just don’t look great. They are too wide and bring too much“yellow” to the board. Borders should serve to separate the main areasof the board, and not be nearly as wide as some of the main areas.

However, when we take these double-wide borders in FIG. 5 and make oneside of the border one color, and the other side a color that is uniqueto the board (see FIG. 6 ), the board not only looks better, but thedistinction between the numbers also improves.

As you can see in FIG. 6 , the borders between the numbers consist oftwo colors. One side is yellow, and the other side is blue. It providesclarity to the board. Each number is either enclosed within yellowborders, or within blue borders. As you go around the board, the numbersalternate between having yellow borders and blue borders.

For example, the “20” area has yellow borders on both sides of it,whereas the “1” and the “5” areas on either side of the “20” area, areboth enclosed within blue borders. When a dart hits in the yellow borderbetween the 20 and the 1, or the yellow border between the “20” andthe”5” it is scored as hitting the “20”. However, when a dart hits inthe blue border between the “20” and the “1”, it is scored as hittingthe “1”, and when a dart hits in the blue border between the “20” andthe “5”, it is scored as hitting the 5. This principle would hold truefor all the numbers as you go around the board. The borders on eitherside of each number are considered to be a part of that number.

There would also be no need to have the little numbers at the end ofeach border, since the two-color borders represent both numbers oneither side of it. If the dart is in the yellow, it’s scored as beingpart of the number the yellow border is adjacent to, and if it’s in theblue, it’s scored as the number the blue border is adjacent to.

The yellow rings are also reduced to their original one-hole width,restoring the accuracy needed to hit the premium areas within eachnumber.

Solution 5 Make Not Only the Borders Between the Numbers, but Also theCircular Borders Which Separate the Regions Within Each Number, WiderWith One Side of the Border Being One Color and the Other Side Being aDifferent Color

FIG. 6 in solution 4 provides a clear distinction between each numericarea of the board. In this solution, we present FIG. 7 , which goes astep further. It not only provides a clear distinction between thenumeric areas of the board. It also provides a clear distinction betweenthe regions within each number. With this solution, every scoring areais clearly separated from all its adjacent scoring areas.

Each red scoring area of the board has a blue border, while each blackarea of the board has a yellow border. We chose those colors becauseblue shows up well on red, and yellow shows up well on black. It doesn’tmatter what the colors are as long as they are clearly visible. Forexample, dark blue is not easy to distinguish from black. Therefore, itwould not make sense to outline a black area with a dark blue border.Just like it would not make sense to outline a red area with an orangeborder.

These border areas, of course, are flush with the rest of the board andhave scoring holes in them. The yellow areas are scored as being part ofthe black areas, and the blue areas are scored as being part of the redareas.

For example, let’s look at how the areas within the 20 of FIG. 7 wouldbe scored.

-   The outermost black area, also know as the double area, of the 20 is    surrounded by a yellow border. If a dart hits in the yellow border    around this area, it is scored as hitting the 20 twice, just as it    is when it hits in the black area within the yellow border.-   As we progress toward the center of the board, the next area within    the 20 is a large red area surrounded by a blue border. If a dart    hits in the blue border around this area, it is scored as hitting    the 20 once, just as it is when it hits in the red area within the    blue border.-   The next area within the 20 is referred to as the triple area. Like    the double area, this area is black and also surrounded by a yellow    border. If a dart hits in the yellow border around this area, it is    scored as hitting the 20 three times, just as it is when it hits in    the black area within the yellow border.-   The fourth, and final, section of the 20 is a long, narrow,    triangular-shaped area surrounded by a blue border. If a dart hits    in the blue border around this area, it is scored as hitting the 20    once, just as it is when it hits in the red area within the blue    border.

The areas within the other numbers would work the same. Any darthitting/landing in the yellow border would count as hitting the blackarea which it surrounds. Any dart hitting/landing in the blue borderwould count as hitting the red area which it surrounds.

This solution would provide more clarity than solution 4, since itclearly distinguishes all the areas of the board.

Conclusion

There will always be an occasional dart that bounces off electronicdartboards because it hits directly between the holes, hits a dart thatis already stuck in the board, or is poorly thrown. Darts that hitbetween the holes, however, almost always register as hitting thecorrect number. The problem with current electronic dartboards is thatfar too many darts bounce off the hard, yellow rings and borders,receiving no credit. They are scored the same as darts that miss theboard completely. As we alluded to earlier, scoring darts that bounceoff these rings and borders as a “miss” is no different than a footballplayer being called out of bounds because he steps on a yard marker, ora basketball player being called out of bounds because he steps on thefree throw line.

As previously mentioned, this description, and the solutions we haveprovided, are not to be taken in a limiting sense but have been made forthe purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. Theforemost principle of which is that when darts hit “in-play”, that is,within the boundary of the outermost ring, they must accurately registeras to where they hit the board. The only way to accomplish this is toeliminate the plastic borders and rings which exist in the field ofplay, and make the whole playing surface one continuous scoring area.

Any of the solutions we have presented, or any number of variations ofthe presented solutions, will accomplish this, and dramatically improvethe scoring accuracy of electronic dartboards. Nearly all thecomplaints, arguments, and disputes as to where darts actually hit theboard when they bounced off will be eliminated because the vast majorityof the thrown darts will no longer bounce of the board onto the floor!They will be stuck in the board, and there will be no argument as towhere they hit!

Based on our measurement and mathematical calculations, we estimate thatsolution 1 which changes the borders to be shaped like an inverted “v”coming out from the board will reduce the number of “in-play” darts thatbounce off the board, and fail to register, by approximately 67%.

Solutions 2 through 5, where the hard, plastic borders are replaced withholed scoring areas which are flush with the rest of the board, willreduce the number of “in-play” darts that bounce off the board bybetween 85% and 95%. These solutions would also lower costs because theplastic borders would not need to be manufactured and inserted into thedartboard. However, we strongly believe that solution 2 will cause toomany other problems with its lack of clarity, and distinction betweenscoring areas. We feel that solution 3 is definitely a better choicethan solutions 1 and 2.

It is our opinion that solutions 4 and 5 are the best choices. Solution4 provides both clarity and distinction between the numeric scoringareas. However, for absolute clarity and distinguishability betweenevery scoring area of the board, solution 5 (FIG. 7 ) is the bestchoice.

In closing, we would like to reiterate that there is no reason for aplayer who throws a good dart not to get credit for that dart. Way toomany darts currently bounce off the board because they hit directly onthe “in-play” rings, and the borders between the numbers. The presentinvention will remedy this problem by turning the rings and borders intoactive scoring areas, and allow dart throwers to compete in a fairenvironment where the scoring is accurate. This, in turn, will eliminatethe debates, stress, and controversy caused by darts bouncing off theboard, and the arbitrary nature in which those darts are scored.

We claim:
 1. An electronic dartboard apparatus comprising; an “in-play”scoring area having a plurality of narrow concentric circular areas anda plurality of narrow straight-line areas which extend from theinnermost narrow circular area, through the interior narrow circularareas, to the outermost circular area; an “out-of-play” non-scoring areaoutside the said outermost narrow circular area.
 2. An electronicdartboard apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of narrowconcentric circular areas and said plurality of narrow straight-lineareas are a different color than the rest of the dartboard, making theareas very distinct, and highly visible.
 3. An electronic dartboardapparatus as in claim 2, wherein said plurality of narrow concentriccircular areas, and said plurality of narrow straight-line areas, areflush with the entire circular “in-play” scoring area, having scoringholes in them identical to the holes in the rest of said “in-play” area,creating one continuous “in-play” scoring area.
 4. An electronicdartboard apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said narrow straight-lineareas serve to create, and establish borders between, the differentnumeric pie-shaped scoring areas within the said “in-play” scoring area.5. An electronic dartboard apparatus as in claim 2, wherein saidplurality of narrow concentric circular areas serve to establishdifferent scoring areas within each said numeric pie-shaped area; saidinnermost concentric circle serves to establish a small, round area inthe center of the board known as the bull’s eye, distinguishing thebull’s eye from the rest of the numeric scoring areas.
 6. An electronicdartboard apparatus as in claim 3, wherein there is a number at the endof each said narrow straight-line scoring area, just outside saidoutermost narrow circular scoring area in the said “out-of-play” area,indicating the value of darts that hit/stick in each particular narrowstraight-line scoring area.
 7. An electronic dartboard apparatus as inclaim 3, wherein the electronics of the board would be configured sothat darts landing in the narrow concentric circular scoring areas andthe narrow straight-line scoring areas would be scored properly.
 8. Anelectronic dartboard apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the straight-linescoring areas between the numbers contains two rows of holes extendingfrom the bull’s eye to the outermost ring, with one row of holes being aunique color to the board, and the other row of holes being a differentunique color to the board, creating a border area that consists of twocolors side by side, with each row of holes being a part of the numberit borders for scoring purposes.
 9. An electronic dartboard apparatus asin claim 8, wherein the outermost holes encompassing each scoring areaon the board are one of the two unique colors added to the board, suchthat each scoring region is outlined in a unique color that is differentfrom the unique color that outlines every scoring area adjacent to it,establishing very clear, staggered boundaries between each individualscoring area of the board.